Voting machine voting booth



Jan. 26, 1937. A. F. FOEHRENBACH Emu.

VOTING MACHINE VOTING BOOTH 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 5, 1934Zinnentors HEEA/BAC/l,

147877107? F FOE B u/v50 F'- 5/1 007 All/D BB SAMUEZ R-SHOUP- fi TM attonegs A. F.-FOEHRENBACH ET AL 2,068,853- VOTING MACHINE VOTING BOOTHFiled June 5, 1934 v s Shets-Shet? (lttot'negs Patented Jan. 26, 1937UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VOTING MACHINE VOTING BOOTH Application June5, 1934, Serial No. 729,149

6 Claims.

This invention relates to voting machines and more specifically toimprovements in the apparatus forming the enclosure or voting booth forthe machine during the operation thereof.

The present invention comprehends improvements and structuralrefinements in apparatus forming the enclosure or voting booth and thecurtain operating mechanism disclosed in Patent No. 2,054,102 to SamuelR. Shoup et al., although the device may be adapted for use in machinesof various other types.

One of the objects of this invention is to form a voting enclosure orbooth by utilizing the doors of the voting cabinet as the side walls ofsuch enclosure and providing a frame for supporting the curtains whichis adapted to retain the doors in their opened position when the machineis in use and also adapted to be folded within the machine with thecurtains draped thereover when the doors are closed and the machine isin storage.

Another object of the invention is to construct a curtain operatingmechanism in which the movable operating members are so housed andshielded as to avoid interference with extraneous objects which impedeor interfere with the operating functions thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a voting booth in whichthe doors of the machine constitute the side walls of the enclosure, thebody of the machine forms the rearward wall while the forward wall andentrance to the booth is formed by curtains slidably mounted upon asupporting frame and arranged for securement upon the forward edge ofthe doors when the voting machine is in use.

In the drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present inventionis illustrated Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a voting machineincluding the curtain supporting structure and operating mechanismtherefor; the voting machine illustrated herein being shown some- Whatdiagrammatically with portions thereof broken away in order that thecurtain actuating mechanism may be clearly defined.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated bythe line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section indicated by the line 33 in Figure 2,illustrating the curtain supporting frame arranged in its extendedposition to form the voting booth.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional view shown on a somewhat enlarged scale,the section being taken on a plane indicated on 1ine-44 of Figure 2.

Fi re 5 is a detail illustration of the mechanism shown in Figure 4, theView being shown in a section taken at right angles to Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary view of the lower portion of the machineillustrating the curtain control and operating mechanism.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectiional view taken on a plane indicated bythe line 'i'l in Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective of the curtain frame, thecurtain and the operating connections therefor.

The voting machine upon which the improved curtain support is mountedcomprises a cabinet i ii having folding doors I I mounted upon theforward face thereof. The cabinet housing is constructed of sheet metalplates or panels which are disposed in spaced relation to form chamberedwalls within which certain of the curtain operating mechanisms aredisposed. As illustrated in Figure 2 the curtain frame comprises a rail[2 having side arms l3 and M which are pivotally mounted adjacent theirends upon the interior Walls of the cabinet II] and forwardly of thepanel carrying the voting levers. The pivotal mounting for the curtainsupporting rods I2--l3l4 comprises a spacing bracket or sleeveinterposed between the inner face of the side walls of the cabinet itand the arms l3 and I4 respectively. A bolt or the like is passedthrough apertures at the inner ends of the bars 13 and is, through saidbracket and is then secured to the inner wall of the cabinet side. Thespacing of the bars l3 and i l in the manner above described positionsthe bars l3 and 14 so that the cabinet doors 1 I may be swung to an openpositionin parallelism with the bars l3 and I4 when said bars are intheir raised or curtain supporting position. The pivotal mountingthrough means l5 permits the bars l3 and 14 to be lowered to a positionentirely within the cabinet as best illustrated in dotted lines ofFigure 5. The sheave mechanism hereinafter described being mounted onthe bar i3, is also swung to a substantially vertical position alongwith the bar l3. When the curtain supporting bars l3l4 and thetransverse bar l2 which connects the same are swung to the positionindicated in Figure 5 the cabinet doors I I may be swung to a closedposition as indicated in the dotted lines of Figure 2. The arms l3 and Mare of sufiicient length to extend beyond the doors when opened but aresubstantially shorter than the height of the doors so that the frame l2when lowered may be folded within the machine with the curtains loopedthereover without the necessity of dismantling the assembly. Adjacentthe forward edges of each of the doors there is a stud l6 disposed forengagement with aligned apertures in the arms E3 and I4 respectively.When the frame is positioned to form a voting booth the studs areinserted through said apertures and a thumb knob H is screwed thereonthereby securing the frame and doors in their booth forming relation.

Upon the rail l2 there is a vertically disposed sheave wheel [8 and uponthe opposed end of the rail there is a pair of sheaves I9 and 26disposed so that the portions of the cord trained thereover will lie inlaterally spaced relation. Adjacent the pivotal connection of the arm l3there is a bracket 2| which retains a second pair of sheave wheels 22and 23 which lie in planes substantially parallel with the sheaves i9and 26, and tangential with a pair of sheave wheels 24 and 25 mountedwithin the casing l6 and extending through the inner shell of the endwall of the voting machine casing.

Adjacent the base of the machine and intermediate the panelsconstituting the end wall of the voting cabinet there is a sheave wheel26, the outer periphery thereof extending through the base plate of themachine so that the cord trained thereover may be engaged by a sheavewheel 21 mounted upon an arm 28 depending from the drive plate 29 whichis mounted for reciprocative movement upon guide rollers 36 suitablysupported within the base of the voting machine cabinet. Theconstruction and operation of this drive plate is more fully illustratedand described in Patent No. 2,054,102, dated September 15, 1936,heretofore referred to, and may be either manually or automaticallyoperated, reference being also made to the copending application of A.F. Foehrenbach and R. F. Shoup, Serial No. 864, filed January 8, 1935,for a detail disclosure of an electrical circuit for automatic orpushbutton control of said plate. In the example illustrated in Fig. 1,when the drive plate 29 is shifted to the right, it unlocks the votingmechanism, and when shifted to the left, it looks said mechanism.

In the instant case the curtain actuating mechanism is shown ascontrolled by a hand operated control lever 3! which is mounted upon ashaft 32 journalled in the bracket 33 in the base of the voting machinecabinet. Upon the inner end of the shaft 32 there is a crank arm 34having a stud secured in the end thereof which is received within a slot35 provided in the arm 28. Upon the end wall adjacent the base of themachine there is a clip 36 to which the end of the curtain actuatingcord 31 is anchored. The cord 31 passes over the sheave 2'! thencethrough the sheave wheels 26, 23 and 26, the cord then being loopedabout the end sheave wheel I8 and from thence it is trained over thesheaves I9, 22 and 24, the free end thereof being provided with a Weight38 secured thereto. The portion of the cord intermediate the sheavewheels 26 and 2'! passes through a channeled guide plate 39 secured uponthe base plate of the cabinet. Within the guide plate 39 there is afinger 46 which is pivotally supported on a bracket 4| arranged so thefinger is disposed slightly forward of the plate 29. Upon the upper endof the finger 46 there is a contractile spring 42 anchored upon itsinner end to the upper portion of the bracket 4|. Adjacent the end ofthe plate 29 there is a pintle 43 disposed for engagement with the upperportion of the finger 46 when said plate reaches its out wardtranslation.

The curtains 44 are provided with eyelets adjacent their outerlongitudinal edges which are adapted for engagement with headed studs 45mounted upon the inner face of the doors adjacent the edge thereof. Thecurtains 44 are slidably supported by the bar [2 through the medium offasteners 46 which surround said rail l2 and are received by eyelets atthe upper edge of the curtain. One of said fasteners 46a near the freeor meeting edge of one of the curtains is secured to that part of theactuating cord disposed intermediate the sheaves I8 and i9 when thecurtains are open and the weight 38 is in its lowered position. Afastener 46b at the meeting edge of the other of said curtains issecured to that portion of the cord 3'! disposed intermediate thesheaves l8 and 26 when the curtains are open and the weight is in itslowered position. Upon movement of the cord in response to the raisingof the weight 38 the cord intermediate sheaves l8 and 26 moves in thedirection of the: arrow B and the cord intermediate the sheaves l3 andI9 moves in the direction of the arrow A, and thus through the medium offasteners 46a and 46b moves the meeting edges of the cur- 2 tains 44toward each other.

The weight 38 is provided with a longitudinal bore 4? through whichextends a rod or taut wire 48 anchored to the top and bottom portions ofthe cabinet, and which constitutes a guide for the weight to preventundue side sway and consequent clatter caused thereby.

When the machine is adjusted for use at election the doors I I are swungto a position normal to the face of the machine and the rail I2 iselevated to a horizontal position and secured upon the studs IS, thecurtains being unfolded and buttoned upon studs 45 to conceal theinterior of the enclosure thus formed. The machine is then adjusted forthe voting operation, the curtains being laterally separated throughsuch adjustment.

In the operation, when the voter enters the enclosure he first swingsthe lever 31 as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 1 to vote recordingadjustment whereupon the plate 29 will be shifted inwardly thus movingthe arm 28 carrying the sheave wheel 21 laterally and suitably drawingthe cord 3'! over the guide sheaves to cause the closure of the curtains44. As one of the curtains is secured to the portion of the cord passingover the top of the sheave I8 and since the second curtain is secured tothe cord extending from the bottom of the sheave l8 it is obvious thatthe curtains will be simultaneously moved in opposite directions duringthe actuation of the lever 3|. While the plate 29 is traveling inwardlyand the cord 31 is traveling through the guide in the same direction thefinger 46 will slide freely thereover but upon the end of thereciprocative translation thereof the spring 42 will cause theengagement of the finger with the cord and will clamp the samesustaining the weight in the elevated position effected by the inwardtranslation of the sheave 21. After the voter has adjusted the votingkeys of the machine he records his voting, repositioning the lever 31and in so doing actuates the plate 29 thus causing the pintle 43 toengage the finger 46 adjacent the end of the travel thereof. When thefinger is tripped the cord will be released and the weight 38 will thenfall thus taking up the slack in the cord caused by the return movementof the sheave 21, the travel of the cord being suflicient to open thecurtain 44. The vote recording and readjusting mechanisms of the votingmachine are actuated coincident the initial movement of the lever 3|,hence all visible evidence of the voted adjustment of the machine isremoved before the curtains are opened.

Although the operation of the curtain actuating device has beendescribed as coordinated with a hand operated machine as controlledthrough the lever 3| it is to be understood that a power driven curtainactuating mechanism is contemplated as falling within the purview of thepresent invention, such operation being attained by an interlinkedconnection between the reciprocating plate 29 and the power driveprovided to actuate the vote recording and reset mechanisms of thevoting machine.

We claim:

1. In a voting booth a voting machine cabinet having centrally divideddoors hinged upon the outer edges of the side walls thereof, a curtainframe comprising a rail having arms pivoted within the cabinet adjacentthe top thereof, curtains slidably mounted upon said frame, means forconnecting said frame to said doors when the latter are opened therebyforming a voting booth, the doors forming the side walls thereof and thecurtain the forward wall, said frame and curtain folding within thecabinet when the doors are closed.

2. In a voting machine, a cabinet having a pair of doors hinged to swingoutwardly from the side walls thereof, a curtain frame pivotally mountedwithin said cabinet and adapted when revolved upon its pivotalconnection to fold within said cabinet rearward of the doors when closedand to extend horizontally beyond the doors when the doors are open,curtains slidably mounted upon said frame, means operatively associatedwith the machine for actuating said curtains towards and away from eachother, said actuating means being operatively connected when the frameis lowered within the cabinet and when horizontally adjusted beyond thedoors.

3. In a voting machine, a cabinet having hinged doors upon the forwardface thereof, a curtain frame mounted upon said cabinet and adapted toextend horizontally beyond said doors when the latter are opened,curtains slidably mounted upon said frame, a cord connected to saidcurtains for actuating the same toward and away from each other, aweight connected to one end of said cord, a pivotally mounted finger,the end portion thereof being held in spring pressed engagement withsaid cord, a reciprocating drive plate, a sheave wheel thereon engagedwith said cord and adapted to move the cord in Weight elevating positionduring the reciprocative movement of said plate in one direction, andmeans coordinated with said plate to overcome the spring pressedengagement of said finger with said cord when the plate is reciprocatedin the opposite direction thereby causing the weight to fall by gravityand effecting the opening of the curtain.

4. In a voting booth, a voting machine cabinet having centrally divideddoors hinged upon the outer edges of the side walls of said cabinet, acurtain frame comprising a rail having arms pivoted within the cabinetadjacent the top thereof, means for securing the arms of said oure tainframe to said doors when the doors are open and the frame is adjusted toextend therebeyond, a pair of centrally divided slidable curtainsmounted upon the rail of said frame, a

cord for actuating said curtains, said curtains being connected at theirouter edges with said doors and connected at their upper inner edge withsaid cord.

5. A voting booth for a voting machine comprising a voting machinecabinet, doors hinged thereon for outward swinging movement, a curtainframe mounted upon said cabinet and adapted to be folded therein,curtains slidably mounted upon said frame, means for actuating saidcurtains toward and away from each other, and

means for uniting said frame and said doors to form a stationaryenclosure wherein the doors are extended and the frame is elevated incurtain suspending position.

6. A voting booth for a voting machine comprising a voting machinecabinet, doors hinged thereon for outward swinging movement, a curtainframe mounted upon said cabinet, curtains mounted upon said frame, meansfor securing the doors in open position to form the side walls of avoting booth and means for securing the outer marginal edges of saidcurtains upon the forward edges of said doors.

ARTHUR F. FOEHRENBACI-I. RANSOM F. SI-IOUP. SAMUEL R. SHOUP.

